First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced global travel website TripAdvisor has chosen Scotland’s tourism agency as its first European partner in a deal expected to boost tourism spending by up to £150 million.

The Scottish Government said the collaboration between VisitScotland and TripAdvisor will promote Scottish tourism to almost 70 million new potential visitors.

Ms Sturgeon announced the partnership at Carnegie Hall in New York on the final day of her visit to the US where she is promoting Scotland as a place to do business.

The two organisations will work on a joint marketing campaign in the UK, and Scotland has been named the preferred “test partner” for TripAdvisor’s new destination marketing products in Europe.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Our tourism industry has always been strong - spending by North American visitors leapt by almost 28 per cent to £633 million in the last year alone - however it’s crucial that we ensure Scotland’s appeal reaches as wide an audience as possible.

“This collaboration will ensure that millions more people will understand Scotland’s appeal, and boost Scotland’s tourism industry for years to come.

“The fact TripAdvisor has chosen Scotland as its first European partner shows just how resilient they believe Scotland’s economy to be - and the fact we were voted the second best country in the world to visit by the Rough Guide means site visitors are guaranteed a good holiday.”

Charlie Smith, director of marketing and digital at VisitScotland, said: “TripAdvisor is the biggest tourism website in the world based on tourists’ real experiences.

“This partnership will give us the chance to learn from those at the forefront of innovation while inspiring millions of potential new visitors.

“This collaboration will help us put Scotland’s regions, cities and unique experiences on the world stage and to grow our tourism industry for future generations.”